GHANA HOME LOANS – CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Since 2009, Ghana Home Loans has been involved in a number of Corporate Social Responsibility projects that are aimed at giving back to the society. We do this through contributions to projects which cover education, health, socio- cultural and economic spheres. The Ghana Home Loans Corporate Social Responsibility Team in the year 2013 participated in a number of projects to fulfil this objective.

The year begun with a donation to the National Commission for Civic Education in support of the re-launch of the Project Citizen.

As part of efforts to deliver on its mandate of delivering civic education to all segments of the Ghanaian society, the Commission adopted Project Citizen to encourage youth participation in democracy. Project Citizen aims at equipping students to participate effectively in addressing challenges in their communities. Students are trained to identify and gather information on problems that need public policy solution in their communities, research to find alternative solutions and propose their own policies on how those challenges could be resolved.

Mr. Ellis Atekpe, the Head of Mortgages, also gave insight into Ghana Home Loans’ newest Land Purchase Mortgage. He explained the nature of the product as one specifically designed to meet the changing needs of applicants who wish to acquire serviced plots for residential purposes. The two-in-one nature of the product allows prospective applicants to access a construction loan from Ghana Home Loans to build their dream house.

It is the firm belief of the NCCE that, the project would contribute to nurturing students into responsible adults for the benefit of society and Ghana Home Loans supported this cause with a donation of GHS1500.00

Ghana Home Loans gave some computers to the St. Joseph’s Anglican School in Prampram. The school was in need of a computer library to ensure that all students could have access to Information Technology education. The library was furnished with carpets, air conditioners, desks stabilizers and computers to make the room conducive for learning. Ghana Home Loans spent about GHS8000.00 on the project.

A donation of GHS2000 was made to the Rotary Club of Accra East in support of a borehole project for the Gomoa Tarkwa Methodist Primary School and a medical outreach which focused on deworming children and distributing mosquito nets to the people of the town.

Zonta International is a global service organization of executives in business and the professions working together, across political and social boundaries, to advance the status of women worldwide. Members volunteer their time, talents and money to local and international service programs, as well as scholarship and award programs aimed at furthering women’s education, leadership and youth development. The Zonta Club Accra II seeks the welfare of women and is committed to ensuring that the status of women is enhanced through counselling and other empowerment programs. Ghana Home Loans contributed to the club’s project of Water Sanitation for the year.

Ghana Home Loans supported Dr. Rhoda Edem, a first year house officer at the Dental Department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital who had been diagnosed with central giant cell granuloma which had affected her left lower jaw. The support of GHS1000.00 was given for the reconstructive surgery needed to be done in England.

The Pledge Pink Campaign was instituted by UT Bank three years ago to coincide with the global commemoration of Breast Cancer awareness every October. It was instituted to support organizations such as the Cancer Society of Ghana in bridging the information gap and to dispel misconceptions about the breast cancer through awareness creation and contribute to the treatment of underprivileged victims of the disease.

This year the Pledge Pink Campaign acquired a Mobile Pre-Screening Van which would help in the early detection of breast cancer. Ghana Home Loans participated in the annual Pledge Pink Ball aimed at raising funds to support this noble cause.

The ball was attended by some members of staff and management of Ghana Home Loans. A total of GHS3200.00 was donated.

Run for a Cure Africa is a nonprofit organization for the eradication of breast cancer in Africa. Their goal in Ghana for the year was to purchase a mammogram machine for the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital.

The run had about seven hundred participants this year and it was used to raise awareness, celebrate survivors and honor those who have lost the battle with breast cancer. A contribution of GHS2000.00 was made by Ghana Home Loans to this cause.

The year 2014 was crowned with a donation to the Weep Not Child Foundation, an orphanage near Nsawam in the Eastern Region. The orphanage has about thirty inmates some of whom were abandoned at birth, orphaned or just neglected by their family.

This was a collaborative effort by staff and the CSR Team. Staff members contributed items like toiletries, confectionaries and food items which were supplemented by CSR funds of GHS2,290.00.

Some members of staff made the donation to the orphanage and spent some time with them.

Ghana Home Loans on Saturday the 14th of September joined hands with the University of Ghana Medical Students’ Association (UGSMA) to embark on a medical screening program at the Bannerman Park, Chorkor. The aim of the exercise was to screen the residents in the locality on general health issues and subsequently give out free medication where need be.

Before moving to the grounds, the UGMSA held a durbar where the guest speaker Dr. Sefah gave a presentation on the causes and effects of high blood pressure especially in pregnant women and also how medical practitioners could help prevent and mitigate the issues of high blood pressure. This durbar commemorated the launch of the UGMSA week.

Mr. Christopher Oppon who represented Ghana Home Loans, main sponsors of this event, traced the partnership between the two entities to 2009 and emphasized the importance the company attaches to the health issues of the country. He indicated that Ghana Home Loans’ partnership is one of the ways of contributing to reducing the health burden of the underprivileged in our society. He further pledged Ghana Home Loans continued support for such noble projects by the medical students.

After the durbar, the event was then moved to the Bannerman Park where the screening took place. At the close of the day more than 200 residents (not counting children) of the Chorkor community were screened and given medication (where necessary). Staff of Ghana Home Loans assisted in the screening process by aiding in activities like checking patients’ blood pressures, writing out prescriptions, among others. A total of GHS4250.00 was spent on the program.